Poinsettia

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant is a sport of Annette Hegg Supreme (U.S. Plant Pat. 3,392). The new variety is characterized by bracts which are distinctly rugose. The leaves, however, are not rugose. The bracts are light pink but the venation is dark rose and prominent. The bracts are not lobed. The bracts are more round and less pointed than in the parent. The foliage is a lighter green than in the parent.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The new variety of poinsettia plant was discovered by applicant as a sport in a bed of Annette Hegg Supreme poinsettias (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,392) in applicant's greenhouse near Graterford, Pa. This discovery was made in December 1976 but none of the new variety plant was sold or offered for sale until December 1978.

Asexual Reproduction of the Variety

Following applicant's discovery, applicant asexually reproduced the new and distinct variety in his greenhouse by the rooting of cuttings from the new sport. The asexually reproduced poinsettia plants have uniformly new and distinct characteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant is characterized by the following features.

(1) The bracts are pink, a lighter pink than the parent. The pink color of the bract is deeper with greater illumination, and paling with less illumination, as for example, when the bract is shaded. The closest designation on the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Color Chart is near 52D when fully illuminated, the color paling when shaded. On the Horticultural Color Chart (HCC) the closest designation is HCC 621 when the bract is fully illuminated, paling to HCC 621/3 when shaded.

(2) The veins are dark rose. The closest designation of the vein color on the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) color chart is 46D which, according to the RHS Color Chart Table of Cross References corresponds to Delft Rose HCC 020, on the Horticultural Color Chart (HCC).

(3) The bracts are rugose, i.e. the bracts are puckered.

(4) The bracts are arched from edge to edge.

(5) The bracts are non-lobed and are round and less pointed than in the parent.

(6) Some of the bracts are twisted on their stems.

(7) The plant is self-branching.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing comprises a photographic reproduction in color of the new and distinct poinsettia plant of this application. The color of the bracts in the photograph is as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in a color illustration of this character.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant of this application was asexually reproduced from a sport of Annette Hegg Supreme poinsettia (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,392).

The bracts are pink, a lighter pink than the parent. The pink color of the bract is deeper with greater illumination, and paling with less illumination, as for example, when the bract is shaded. The closest designation on the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Color Chart is near 52D when fully illuminated, the color paling when shaded. On the Horticultural Color Chart (HCC) the closest designation is HCC 621 when the bract is fully illuminated, paling to HCC 621/3 when shaded.

The veins are rose color. The venation is substantially darker than the lighter pink of the remainder of the bract. The closest designation of the color of the veins on the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) color chart is 46D which, according to the RHS Color Chart Table of Cross References corresponds to Delft Rose HCC 020 on the Horticultural Color Chart (HCC).

The outstanding characteristics of the new variety of poinsettia plant is that the bracts are rugose. That is to say, the veins lie in valleys on the upper surface of the bracts and the epidermis is arched between the veins.

The bracts are arched between opposite edges.

The bracts are non-lobed and are more round and less pointed than the parent.

The plant is self-branching.

In some of the new variety of plant, but not in all, the bract stem is longer than in the parent, and the composite flower is less compact than in the parent.

The following is a chart which compares the color of the bracts of the new variety of plant of the present application with those of its antecedents and with other pink sports of its antecedents. However, the outstanding distinguishing characteristic of the new variety of plant is the rugose characteristic of the bracts, with the foliage not rugose, in combination with the light pink color of the bracts and the dark rose color of the venation.

    ______________________________________                                         Bract Color Comparison with                                                    Antecedents and Pink Sports of Antecedents                                     Plant            Color of Bracts                                               Patent           (RHS)     (HCC)                                               No.     Plant Name   No.       No.   Name                                      ______________________________________                                         (S.N. 2259)                                                                            Ott          Near 52D  621 to                                                                               Carmine                                                                  621/3 Rose                                      (S.N. 2260)                                                                            Ott          Near 52D  621 to                                                                               Carmine                                                                  621/3 Rose                                      3392    A. H. Supreme                                                                               45D       820/2 Blood Red                                 2962    Annette Hegg 47A       821/2 Currant                                                                        Red                                       3160    A. H. Dark Red                                                                              53B       822/1 Cardinal                                                                       Red                                       3099    A. H. Pink   Near 47C  020/2 Delft Rose                                3120    C-1 Pink     Near 47C  020/2 Delft Rose                                3738    C-1 Hot Pink 47D       20/2  Geranium                                                                       Lake                                      3761    A. H. Hot Pink                                                                              52B       21/1  Carmine                                   ______________________________________                                          Note:                                                                          A. H. = Annette Hegg                                                      

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant, substantially as herein illustrated and described, the body of the bracts being a lighter pink than the parent U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,392, the pink color being deeper with great illumination, and paling with less illumination, the venation being prominent and rose in color; characterized particularly in that the body of the bracts are rugose, i.e., the veins are sunken in valleys on the upper surface of the bract and the epidermis between veins is elevated or arched, the body of the bract being arched between opposite edges, the bracts being non-lobed and more round and less pointed than in the parent, the foliage being a lighter green than in the parent. 